


A Bloody Big Ship

by JustAnotherUnderstudy



Series: Fix You [3]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, James Bond Has Issues, M | Olivia Mansfield Lives, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22809358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherUnderstudy/pseuds/JustAnotherUnderstudy
Summary: James meets Q hoping for something to do to keep his mind off his troubles.
Relationships: James Bond/M, James Bond/M | Olivia Mansfield
Series: Fix You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619116
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11





	A Bloody Big Ship

**Author's Note:**

> Another story in my new series. I started the second story after the Christmas one because I wanted to write one for Valentine's Day and these were supposed to set it up. But I got busy and that didn't happen. Enjoy. At some point, hopefully before I graduate, I'll finish everything. lol

James sat on the bench and stared at the painting.

"It's a bloody big ship," he muttered to himself.

The display hadn't changed. This was part of the regular collection so when Q told him where to meet, he knew exactly what the lad meant.

'Lad,' he thought. 'I'm calling young men lads now.'

He listened to the sounds around him and waited to hear Q approach.

If it hadn't been for the way Q had phrased his message about the old bulldog, James wouldn't have bothered to reply. He wanted nothing to do with Six. It was a reminder of his great failures, particularly how he'd failed _her_.

Finally, he caught a glimpse of Q out of the corner of his eye. He waited, still looking up at the painting.

"It's good to see you, Bond," Q said as he sat.

James looked at him.

"This had better be worth sobering up," he told Q.

He didn't say what he hoped this was. It must be another message from her, like the DVD. He could think of no other reason that Q would use the reference.

He'd always suspected he'd been overheard talking with the Union Jack-draped figurine, but Q had not said a thing before now. Now, though, James hoped she had more for him to do. How she could, so long after her death, he didn't know, and he didn't care.

Q pulled a small pouch out of his coat pocket and handed it to James.

"You might not want to listen to that here," he said.

"Why not?" James asked as he opened the pouch to reveal a set of earbuds and a small electronic device that looked similar to an old iPod shuffle, only not as elegant or colorful.

"Does the message self-destruct after five seconds?" he asked and raised up the boxy, silver-colored device.

"No," Q said with a roll of his eyes. "But what you hear might provoke a reaction you'd rather no one else see."

James shook his head.

As if he wasn't a trained agent. He might have been retired for several months, but that didn't mean he had forgotten. Besides, he had questions for Q and might have more after he heard the mission.

"I can handle a mission briefing," James said.

"What?" Q asked, surprised.

Then he shook his head.

"This isn't a mission, James," he said. "It's just important information I learned that I thought you might like as well."

James turned back to Q to assess him. Q did seem to think this was important, but James couldn't imagine they would ever think the same things important.

"Is this a sex tape of Mallory and Tanner?" he asked.

"What?" Q recoiled, obviously disgusted by the notion.

"Oh, for god's sake," he said when he recovered. "Just listen to the damn thing."

James smirked at Q and stuck the earbuds in and pressed the small play button on the box.

The smirk melted away almost immediately. James felt his heart rate begin to jump while at the same time he felt the color drain from his face.

It couldn't be.

When the recording ended he found himself frantically seeking the play button again. He had to listen just to be sure. It was too impossible.

It was the same. He listened again. It was the same. After a dozen times he finally pulled the buds out of his ears and handed the equipment back to Q.

"She died in my arms," he said in a dead voice.

The initial adrenaline rush had worn off quickly and all that remained was the same gnawing pain he'd felt since that day.

"I know," Q said. "I don't have the medical information, but it has always bothered me."

Q prattled off the why and how of his search for answers, but his voice was barely background noise to James.

M was alive. _His_ M. She was living in London. She talked with her replacement, if there could even be such a thing, on a regular basis. But she had never contacted him.

'Why would she?' That accusatory voice he'd given way to after leaving Six spoke loudly. 'After what you did to her? You're a bloody hypocrite for thinking she should have called.'

James was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed Q trying to hand him something.

"This is her address," he told James as he handed him two pieces of paper. "And the other is a photo from a nearby traffic cam that I found."

James took the papers.

"The photo's from yesterday," Q concluded.

James looked at the photo and felt a smile come to his face involuntarily. It was likely the first real smile he'd had in over a year, since before Turkey.

Then he stood, handed the papers back to Q and thanked him.

Q gave him a confused look.

"Don't you want this?" he asked.

James shook his head.

"No," he said. "If she wanted to talk to me, she would."

"But she can't," Q said and stood. "You heard that conversation with M."

James nodded.

"I know," he said. "But I messed it all up in Turkey."

He shook his head. He didn't want to rehash what his brain was going to replay over and over after he left.

Q held out the pouch and the papers to him.

"At least take them," he said. "I have no need for them."

James sighed and took them.

"You should go see her," Q said. "I think she misses you."

James gave him a weak smile and shook his head.

"No," he said.

"I think that's why she doesn't want to leave London now that you're back," Q interrupted.

James lowered his head and looked at his feet for a moment, then he looked back up at Q.

"Thank you, Q," he said. "Under normal circumstances I would contact her."

He looked back at the Fighting Temeraire and thought how it was like his relationship with M. It had been the best thing in his life, but now it was gone and could not sail again. It was only to be broken up and held in memory until there was no one left who could remember.

Olivia didn't need him in her life. She didn't need to be reminded how he'd failed her on so many levels.

Finally, he turned back to Q.

"I'm sorry," he said. "There's a bottle of vodka calling my name."

Then, he turned and walked away.


End file.
